Home Is Where You Are
by ele05gs
Summary: What if the girl you haven't seen in years comes crashing back into your life? What if she was the only girl you ever loved? Would you forget her mistakes, or would you hold them against her? What if she still loves you? What would you do then?


****Disclaimer**: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>One-shot. Co-written with _Lehava_ for the **_Write The Tune Contest._** I'm also happy to anounce it _**won**_ ****TwiLucy_UK's**** **Judge's Pick!  
><strong>

Based on the lyrics "Someone Like You" by Adele. Thank you_ Furious kitten_ and _Lindsey21412_ for helping us beta this story!

Now, please enjoy!

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><p><strong>Home Is Where You Are<strong>

The sunrays filtered through Edward's bedroom window as the first signs of a new morning appeared. He could still see the light despite his closed eyes. Edward knew it was time to get up, move his lazy ass and go to work, but he didn't feel like it. The previous night had left him worn out because really, working past midnight wasn't the wisest thing to do when you had to get up before 6am the next day.

Edward groaned, rolled over one more time, and finally got up. _I love my job_, _I love my job…_he chanted in his head, like a mantra that had to keep him going. And he honestly didlove his job. Edward had just never been a morning person, and he was pretty sure he would never be one. After a warm, relaxing shower and a good cup of coffee he felt like a new person, and more importantly, he was awake. He grabbed his car keys and locked the door before heading out.

It was a nice day outside for a change. The sun warmed his face as he looked up at the sky and breathed in and out slowly. Edward thought of all the things he could be doing instead of sitting in an office chair, reading. Despite all that he was still happy. He had the job he always wanted, namely spending his days reading. Being immersed in the perfect imaginary worlds created by others would seem sad for most people, but not for him. He enjoyed it; it was all he had, all he ever needed. It was better than thinking about his own pathetic life.

As he drove further, he noticed the empty streets. It wasn't unusual, but being such a beautiful day, he thought people would take advantage of it. After all, how many good days could one get in a place like Port Angeles?

Edward parked his car in his usual spot and got out, greeted his co-workers on his way to his office and thanked, wholeheartedly, his assistant for the extra cup of coffee on his desk. His assistant wasn't just any employee; she was one of his best friends, and she obviously knew how much work it took him to fully wake up.

"We got a couple of interesting stories today, Edward," she told him excitedly as she sipped her own coffee. Alice had always been a happy person, especially in the mornings. She'd been his friend since they were little kids.

"I love you, Alice," he declared as he contently sipped his coffee, and sighed with satisfaction.

Alice smiled knowingly at him, muttering a "_what am I going to do with you, Edward?" _under her breath before placing herself at her own desk and handing him the manuscript. She inspected her cell phone while Edward quickly scanned through the outlines of the story.

"Oh my God!" Alice suddenly gasped, eyes wide at her phone, almost spilling coffee over the papers in her haste to get up. "You're so not going to believe this!"

"What?" Edward asked, fairly alarmed at her outburst. He got up, too. His heart started to beat faster as he looked at Alice. Her face went from shock to an enormous blinding grin before she ran out of the office, squealing and leaving Edward utterly confused.

"And just when I thought she couldn't get any crazier," he muttered to himself, resuming his previous reading.

Edward wasn't really convinced by the story plot. It felt repetitive to him―the shy girl falls for the ultimate bad boy, while he does horrible things to her just because he has loved her all along, and of course in the end he turns out to be a good guy.

Edward knew better than to turn a story down just because it _seemed_ banal, so he started to read the first chapter. Occasionally he stared out of the window and sipped his coffee. He had managed to read quite a bit when Alice finally came back, marching into his office.

"You're not going to believe this!" she half-squealed, half-screamed again while enthusiastically clapping her hands.

She eagerly motioned for Edward to put the manuscript down and he did, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for what she was about to say. No breathing could have ever prepared him for Alice's news though.

"Bella's back in town!" she announced happily, jumping up and down like a little kid.

Edward froze in place, his face drained of all color and his heart threatened to leave his chest. Alice seemed oblivious to all of this though, as she continued talking. "And guess what? She was married! And now she's divorced," Alice exclaimed. "Our Bella, can you believe it? Word has it he was a pretty important guy and then he cheated on her, and they have a kid, and…"

As she talked about all the rumors, Edward tuned her out completely. He didn't want to hear any of it; he didn't needto hear it.

He felt like he might faint, like the ground was cracking beneath his feet, as a wave of overwhelming emotions passed through him. He was anxious to finally see her again, yet he didn't want to see her at all. He was hurt because she didn't talk to him in all those years, yet he didn't want to speak with her. He was jealous she'd gotten everything she'd once dreamed about, even though she lost it, and yet it wasn't with him. But mostly, Edward was furious for thinking all of those things. He was furious because it pained him to his core to remember her and to hear about the perfect life she had built without him. He felt conflicted and confused as the old hurt came to the surface again.

"Stop!" Edward shouted, hurt and anger mixed in his voice, but it effectively shut Alice up and scared her in the process.

"Sorry," he whispered then, realizing he had been too loud and the whole office had probably heard him. "I don't want to hear about this, Alice. I don't want to hear about her. I've a lot of work to do."

Edward turned his chair around and went back to his reading, leaving a very stunned and confused Alice staring at the back of his head.

He heard her mutter some expletives at him before stomping away, and because she was Alice, she had to close the door with all the force she had, which was a lot. The picture frame hanging on the wall threatened to fall, but luckily it didn't. The silence following the loud noise was deafening and confronting. He realized he shouldn't have reacted like that, but Bella brought out the best and the worst in him. Her being back was not a good thing. Or maybe it was?

Edward tried to focus on the story in front of him, but he couldn't. He sighed loudly and put the manuscript back on his desk. _She_ was in his mind now; memories of her were flooding him like a furious wave devastating the surface. That's just how he felt…devastated, tired, and weak.

With another sigh of defeat, Edward gathered his belongings and went home, but not before apologizing to Alice.

The second Edward walked out of his office, he saw Alice's worried expression, which intensified when she took one look at his face. He apologized for his earlier tantrum and tried to convince her as much as he could that he was all right. Alice wasn't convinced, and truly, neither was Edward, but she let it go, for now.

Once home, Edward lay on the couch for endless minutes, staring at the ceiling and trying to regain some sleep. He tried, and sigh after sigh, he was starting to get more and more exasperated with himself. The only thing he could see behind his closed eyelids was Bella's face. All he could think about was the great moments they had spent together before she left. It was as if she was there, right next to him. That thought alone unnerved him to no end.

If there was one thing Edward hated the most, it was feeling weak. He hated to admit how much power Bella still had over him. Edward had learned over the years that you can't live in the past forever. You have to let it go eventually and keep your eye on the future. However, Bella had been on his mind in the past, in the present and he saw her in his future. She was his weakness.

His phone went off and Alice's smiling face appeared on the screen. He pushed the ignore button and _ignored_ her. A few seconds later he got a chime alerting him of a new voicemail. He dialed the number and listened. Alice's demanding voice rang in his ears.

"_Edward! Don't be such an ass and pick up the phone…come on, Edward, I know you're there…I can see your car you know."_

Edward stood up and looked out of the window, careful to not be seen, and sure enough, Alice's yellow VW was parked across the street. The message went on.

"_Oh, I bet you just looked out of your window. You're so predictable! Well, just so you know I'm going to be here all day, watching, and when you come out of that hole of yours, you're going to talk to me. It's either that or I'm calling Emmett and sending him over to you. What's it about Bella anyway that got you all tied in a knot? Seriously, you should be happy, after all that has happened in the past, she finally came―" _

The message ended. Edward guessed the length of her ramblings was too long, and he was secretly glad for it. He didn't need another lecture like that, so he let himself fall back on the couch and closed his eyes once again. The phone went off a couple of times, though Edward ignored it all the same. Alice wouldn't be Alice, though, if she didn't stay true to her word.

It was about three hours later, when Edward finally heard Alice drive away. It wasn't long before Emmett's booming voice came through the front door.

"'Hey! Edward! Let me in!" he demanded, his fist pounding on the door.

"Go away, Emmett!" Edward screamed back from his living room where he still was after hours of pondering. He didn't need company; he just wanted to be alone and be miserable and probably have a good drink or two.

"Don't be such a pussy, Edward!" Emmett yelled, though Edward could imagine the grin on his face.

"You have two options," Emmett continued. "One: you open the door and let me in. Two: you open the door and let me in! If you fail to do either one of them, I'm going to break the door down in three seconds!"

Edward jumped up, for he was extremely sure Emmett was not joking.

"One!" Emmett bellowed. Edward ran to the door.

"Two!" came from behind it.

Edward hastily turned the key and opened the door at the same time Emmett yelled three and came running full force at him, very much like an angry rugby player. Both men collided and fell to the ground, Edward shouting profanities at his best friend and Emmett laughing his ass off along the way.

"Emmett, you stupid bear! Get. Off. Me!" Edward snarled. Emmett removed his large body and walked to Edward's living room; still laughing, he placed himself on the couch. Edward sat beside him, rubbing his shoulder where Emmett had hit him.

"Seriously, you dumb oaf, what were you thinking?" Edward growled and Emmett chuckled.

"Well, I did give you three seconds and you didn't listen to me," he grinned as Edward shoved his shoulder.

The smile playing along his lips faltered instantly as he thought back to Bella. "You heard the news already?"

Emmett nodded. "Alice sent me to check up on you, you know, have a guy's talk or something," he grumbled.

"I don't need a babysitter, Emmett, I'm old enough to look after myself," Edward replied, and he earned a loud snort from Emmett.

Both men were silent for a while as Edward got up and poured them both a drink. Emmett gratefully accepted it and gulped the whole thing down in one second. Edward eyed him but chose to ignore it. After a couple of minutes, Emmett finally spoke up.

"Edward, this is all about Bella, right?"

The mere mention of her name shot a strike of pain right through Edward's heart. He nodded, not liking where this was going.

"You and Alice never really told me what happened all those years ago in Forks. Why Bella left and―"

Edward cut him off. "Please, Emmett. I don't want to go there."

"You do!" Emmett raised his voice. "You're spending your life hurting for a woman who doesn't give a damn about you. Who doesn't even care! You're throwing everything away, and I just can't accept that! You're better than this." Emmett's words registered slowly in Edward's mind, but in the end he had to agree. There was, and had been, only one girl for him. It had always been Bella. In the years that Edward had come to live in Port Angeles, he had told Emmett barely nothing about his life in Forks, except that there was a girl who broke his heart.

Alice knew a bit more since they went to the same high school, but she didn't know the exact details of what happened.

"Edward, why don't you just start by telling me what happened?" Emmett requested with a pitiful smile on his face. With a reluctant sigh, Edward finally started the story he had kept a secret from his best friend for a long time.

-:-

Edward and Bella had been neighbors all their lives, living in a little town called Forks. They both were only children and pretty much grew up together.

Carlisle and Esme had loved Bella as their own daughter, just like Charlie and Renee had loved Edward as their own son. The whole town had known that these two children were meant to end up together and start a family of their own. But fate wasn't on their side.

In their second year of high school, Bella and Edward finally told each other how they felt. Much approved by their parents, they started a relationship. Bella and Edward had been part of the same group of friends. Angela and Jessica were Bella's best friends, while Embry and Ben were Edward's buddies. They all hung out together and it wasn't long before Angela and Ben became a couple, as well as Jessica and Embry. Alice was never really a part of their group, but she and Edward were really close and got together on the weekends.

For years everything was fine and life in Forks continued the way it had always been. With only a few more weeks to go in their senior year, Edward started to notice a change in Bella's behavior. She didn't want to hang out as much as she used to. The sex changed, and where it was once passionate and loving, it was now dull and not even one bit exciting. Edward noticed that his girlfriend was suffering and didn't like being touched by him anymore. She recoiled at the mere sight of him. Yet, he did everything he could to make her feel happy again.

"Why don't you just tell me what's wrong?" he asked Bella one day.

"You wouldn't understand," Bella replied, fisting her hands in her brown and wavy hair, a gesture she had picked up from Edward.

"Well, I'll be the one to decide about that," Edward answered. Bella turned her back on him and stared out of Edward's bedroom window. He came up behind her and lovingly wrapped his arms around her slim form.

"Please, don't shut me out," he whispered in her ear, and this resulted in angry tears from Bella as she broke out of his embrace, stomped out of his room and went back to her own house. They didn't talk for a while, as Bella stubbornly ignored all of Edward's attempts to make things better. Neither Esme, Renee, Charlie nor Carlisle knew what had gotten into her and coached Edward to just give Bella some time.

"She'll come around," they all said.

On the day of their graduation, however, Bella seemed even more down than ever, while Edward had a completely different thing on his mind. He was going to ask her to marry him.

-:-

At this point in the story, Emmett let out a loud gasp.

"You were asking her to marry you?" he exclaimed with a shocked face. "You guys were like eighteen!"

"I know," Edward said, shrugging, "but we were also in love. Or that's what I thought."

-:-

Edward had always known that they were young, and that people were going to think Bella was pregnant, but that wasn't the reason for his proposal. Edward had always found their love to be real and pure and he knew that Bella would say yes.

Edward could see their future, how their lives intertwined with each other, and he knew that there was only one girl for him. He wanted to spend his life with her, and _only_ her. He'd bought an incredibly gorgeous ring and had prepared the whole thing in his head.

Edward figured that since they were leaving for college after the summer, it would be okay to propose now and enjoy some free time before school started. Bella and Edward were going to Harvard and everything was planned out.

However, things didn't go the way Edward had planned.

After a nice family dinner at the Cullen house with both the Swans and the Cullens present, Bella left early to go back to her bedroom. She politely thanked Esme for her incredible dinner but said that she didn't feel well.

"Probably the stress from graduation," Esme had replied. Bella had kissed Esme's cheek before she left, Edward instantly following her. Bella didn't wait; she walked straight through her front door and further to her bedroom. There, Edward found her with her hands in her hair and tears in her eyes.

"I can't do this anymore, I can't pretend any longer," she was saying, so softly Edward could barely hear her.

"Bella, babe, there is something I want to ask you," Edward said, as gently as he could without scaring her. Her lovely brown eyes found his and the fear he saw in there would forever be painted in his brain.

"Bella, you know I love you, right?" She nodded, though hesitantly. "I want to spend my life with you," Edward continued, and before Bella could even see it coming he got down on one knee and started what he wanted to say. He could, however, only utter the first word before he was harshly cut off by Bella.

"No, Edward, you are not doing that," she said, angrily. Edward sat there, watching as she paced through her room. "You are not proposing…you can't be," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.

"But I am, don't you see, we are―"

But Edward never got the chance to tell her what they were, because Bella lashed out at him.

-:-

"What did she say?" Emmett asked as Edward stared at the blue wallpaper of the living room.

Five minutes of silence passed between them. Finally, sighing in defeat, Edward turned to Emmett. "Do you really want to know?"

Hesitantly, Emmett nodded, though both knew that was going to be said now would hurt Edward as well as Emmett. Edward let the memory of that night back in.

-:-

He watched Bella as angry tears fell from her eyes and she continued to pace around her neat room. Reluctantly he stood up again, the little box with the ring burning in his back pocket. Bella's hands were suddenly shoving at his shoulders.

"For years," she screamed, "I've been expected to be with you and do everything with you. My whole life is being planned without my consideration and I can't take this anymore. I don't want to be like this anymore! I'm being pushed into the role of the little housewife like my mom and like Esme and I don't want that!" she roared while pushing against Edward's shoulders with force.

"Bella, I don't want you to―"

"Don't tell me what you want or don't want, Edward! I'm not going to marry you, ever! I won't! I'll never marry you!" She screamed so loud, the words hurt Edward's ears. She was panting in front of him. He didn't even recognize the beautiful girl he'd once fallen in love with. The girl before him was not her.

"Then what are you implying?" Edward softly asked, while tears threatened to fall. His dream, with her by his side, was shattered. Edward, at the age of 18, had always been more mature than other guys. He had been ready to marry, and he thought that Bella was ready too.

"That we're done," she said softly, without looking him in the eye. Pain shot through him, as he never expected to hear those words coming from those soft lips.

"Bella, our love, you can't just throw this away like it's nothing! Years of our lives…" He trailed off. In the meantime, Bella was shaking her head, chanting _no_ under her breath.

"There is no _'our'_ anymore, Edward. I want to be on my own, and I want to make my own decisions without your parents meddling with everything or my parents deciding what's best for me! I want to make my own choices," she hissed. Edward staggered back. He'd never heard Bella talking like this.

"Please, love, don't be like this," he pleaded.

"I'm not your love," she spat at him. Her once so warm eyes were now staring coldly at him.

"But, Bella," Edward took a step forward, "we were supposed to be―"

"That!" she screamed angrily. "That right there is my problem! _We_ were supposed to be so much, Edward, _but not anymore_. There was a time when I once loved you, but my love for you has faded."

Her words carved scars on Edward's heart, and he sighed in defeat. Even though he didn't want to let her go, Bella was stubborn and fighting her would be of no use.

"Bella, please," he pleaded one more time.

"Sometimes it lasts in love, Edward, but sometimes it hurts instead," she said, gentler this time. They both had tears in their eyes as Edward turned and quietly walked away.

"I'll see you after the summer, Bella," Edward said. "You'll change your mind." He was certain of it; once he gave Bella some time alone he'd be able to get her back. They were both going to Harvard; he'd win her back before then. Edward was by her bedroom door when he heard her say, "I lied about that."

He turned around, but Bella was looking out of the window.

"I lied to you about college. I'm not going to Harvard. I'm going to Stanford, away from you and every piece of control you have over me."

-:-

Edward finished; tears of anger fell once again from his eyes. Emmett awkwardly clapped him on his back, but even he didn't know what to say.

"After the summer," Edward continued quietly. "The Swans packed up everything and moved away. I've never seen any of them again. I went to college, got my degree and moved to Port Angeles. I got my own home, held on to my friendship with Alice, I met you, started the company and that's about it. My parents still live in Forks; both of them were devastated when their best friends moved away. They didn't even say goodbye to them…"

A minute of silence fell.

"…and now Bella is back, apparently divorced, with a kid."

"God, Edward, man, I don't know what to say. I never expected it to be something like this," Emmett said, a look of compassion on his face.

"It doesn't matter, Emmett. It's been seven years," Edward said, not too confidently.

"It does matter," Emmett said softly. "You still love her, don't you?"

Edward's silent whisper of "I do," was enough for Emmett to make drastic changes.

"You know what you need?" he said loudly. "A distraction. You're coming with me! We can go to _Crazy Vamps. _Come on, I love that place!" he laughed.

"I appreciate the offer, Emmett, but I'd rather not," Edward said.

The last thing on his mind was going to a club right now, let alone a strip club like _Crazy Vamps_. Emmett pouted and pleaded for a while, but, defeated, he agreed and left Edward alone like he asked.

Edward ordered Chinese food, ate it without much appetite, and went to bed early. Sleep wouldn't come, though, and as Edward tossed and turned for a few hours, he made up his mind. The clock read 11:30pm; it wasn't too late to go out now.

He changed his clothes, threw on dark jeans and a green shirt with his black jacket over it and jumped in his car.

If Bella could find someone else then why couldn't he?

Edward parked his car before _Crazy Vamps_ and got out. He opened the door with a sigh and walked into the club. The smell of spilt beer and cheap perfume filled his nose. The ground was sticky as he walked further. Looking around at the state of the undressed girls, he had a feeling he was going to enjoy himself tonight. If Bella could have fun all these years, _why couldn't he?_

Edward sat himself on a stool in front of the bar and ordered a few shots of tequila. The first three went down easily and the alcohol buzz kicked in, leaving Edward in a happy daze, finally able to forget his worries.

Edward looked at a pretty brown-haired girl that was busy taking her way-too-small bra off. As soon as the fabric fell, she met his eye and Edward winked. He blamed the alcohol for that, but the brown-haired beauty smiled brightly and continued to dance as if only for him. The guys in front of her were howling like wolves, but she only met Edward's eyes throughout her routine. There was a change in music and the brunette walked off the stage and to the back. Edward found himself a bit disappointed, for she really was beautiful.

He knocked down three other tequilas and a few beers in the meantime. The latter probably wasn't one of his smartest moves, but he did everything to get that image of Bella out of his head. The first time he kissed Bella, the first time they made love together, the first time she told him that she loved him –because he was too scared to say it first –the first everythings played out in front of his eyes.

Another girl came on, a red-haired one, but she didn't hold his interest.

"Having fun tonight, handsome?" A feminine voice came from behind him, and Edward lazily turned around on his stool. The girl was petite, with a yellow feathered boa around her neck and a bright green bikini covering her private parts.

"I saw you watching. Did you enjoy the show?" she asked playfully and winked. Edward smiled brightly. He was definitely having fun tonight.

"Very much so."

Her lips curved into a smile as he gently put an arm over her naked shoulder.

"Well, why don't you tell me what your name is, little beauty?" Edward's words were slurred as the alcohol finally caught up and made his head pound.

"I'm Makenna," the pretty brunette purred.

"And now tell me your real name," Edward asked. The girl just smiled and winked. She closed the distance between them, so much Edward could smell her perfume. Her lips were close to his ear.

"Well, handsome, why don't we have some fun upstairs and maybe I'll tell you later." She smirked, and Edward kissed her cheek.

"You lead the way." He motioned for her to go on. Her small hand slid into his as she pulled him along. Walking was getting difficult, and Edward's sight was a bit blurry. He should have stayed away from the alcohol, but hell, who cared?

Some guys hooted as Edward passed; a few even screamed that he was getting lucky tonight. The only thing Edward wanted was to forget that the real world existed, a real world where _she_ existed. Makenna went upstairs, shaking her hips in front of Edward and opened a door. It led to a purple room. _Bella liked purple._ It was a classic room, with a bed and a closet, a few mirrors and nothing more. The smell was disgusting, but at least the company was okay.

Makenna stood before him, her hands on her hips as she dared him with her eyes. Her legs were tanned and her cleavage clearly showed in her too small bikini top. She stepped closer, her hands trailing over his body as she removed his jacket. She pressed herself fully against his body.

"Tell me what you want me to do," she asked in a playful tone.

"Just make me forget," Edward said as he crashed his lips against hers. Her mouth was hot on his, her tongue seeking entry immediately. They both breathed heavily as Edward attacked her neck. She craned her neck to give him more access, and it wasn't long before they were both naked, panting on the bed. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. She kissed him along his jaw, his lips, his neck, his cheeks, his ears…she caressed every part of his body.

"You're different," she murmured. Edward looked at her. "You're not like most of them. You're gentle and caring." Makenna held herself up, grabbed Edward's form and placed it at her entrance. She was about to sit down when Edward roughly grabbed her hips and held her in place.

"What's wrong?" Makenna asked.

Suddenly, Edward remembered who he was and what he was doing.

His mind whirled and pushed him back to all those years ago when he and Bella made love for the first time, how scared she had been, yet it had been loving and great.

A bit too hard, Edward pushed Makenna off him. She instantly covered her naked breasts with a sheet as Edward looked at her, lust in his eyes, but surely he felt the lust die. Yes, Makenna had dark hair, but it was shorter and straighter than Bella's. Makenna's lips weren't as full as Bella's, and her eyes were a shade of grey and not the beautiful brown he had seen in Bella's. Makenna was taller and curvier than Bella.

And then the realization hit: she was not Bella.

"I can't do this," Edward whispered and, horrified, he realized what he was about to do. Makenna reached out to him but, instinctively, he pushed himself back, putting distance between them. Edward yanked his clothes back on, his hands fisting in his hair. _What the hell was he thinking? To forget Bella like this? _No.

"There's another woman, isn't there?" Makenna's wise voice came from behind him. Edward looked at her, really looked at her. She was a beautiful girl, but what in God's name had she done to end up here? In this filthy place with no eye on a better future? She was definitely younger than him. _How could he even think about doing this? _

"Yes," Edward said firmly, and he knew, his heart knew, that he was right. Bella had never left his mind or his heart, no matter how hard he tried to deny it. He had always loved her and he would always love her.

"I don't want to know the price, I'll just give you the money I have," Edward said. He _really_ didn't want to know; he pulled out his wallet.

"I don't want your money," Makenna whispered, sounding so young it made Edward's heart ache. "You've been gentle; you've been caring and selfless. Normally, my body is used for the man's pleasure, but you, you pleasured me instead of the other way around. I don't want your money." Her grey eyes were fixed on his green ones. He pulled out everything he had, which was a lot, from his wallet and carefully placed it into her hands. She was pushing it away, but his grasp was strong.

"Keep it, it's for you. Don't let your boss have it." He softly kissed her forehead. "I hope you find your way out of this. You deserve better, Makenna."

The girl's eyes watered as Edward made his way out of the door.

"Emily," came her cry from behind him. "My real name is Emily."

Edward drove home, disgusted with himself and what he'd been about to do. He fell on top of his bed, fully clothed, and thought back about this day. Bella had been back in town for _one_ day. One day and she had already set his world on fire. He had already lost control.

He would start over. A fresh start. A new start. And he would start tomorrow.

His new start began with some good jogging. Edward left his home at 9 o'clock, making his way over the streets and to the park. The park had a wonderful jogging route, and it would be perfect to clear his head. And clear his head it did. For about an hour he did not think about her, or anything else for that matter. He pumped his legs further, to go harder and faster. He rounded a corner and screeched to a halt.

He nearly knocked over a little girl who was sitting on the ground in the middle of the path. Little kids weren't supposed to be here. There was a playground further ahead, but this was the jogging path.

_The kid must be lost_, Edward thought.

"Hey there," Edward said gently as he crouched down. The little girl had tear marks over her cheeks and her eyes were red. Her bottom lip trembled a bit at the sight of Edward. "Don't cry, sweetie, I won't hurt you."

"Mommy says I can't talk to strangers," the little one said, her small hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of her yellow dress.

"Well, your mommy is very smart then. Where is she?" Edward asked and closed the distance between them.

"I don't know," the girl said, and her lip trembled again. She had dark brown hair, at shoulder length with a nice wave in it. Her heart-shaped face with dark brown eyes looked up at him, expecting to hear the answer to where her mom was from him. Her rosy cheeks were pretty adorable, and Edward found that the little girl seemed familiar.

"Well, sweetie, I'm Edward. Why don't you tell me your name and we can go and find your mommy," he cooed a little.

"I'm Jade," the girl said timidly.

"Well Jade, we'll find your mom." Edward held out his hand, and the little girl took it eagerly, showing Edward a toothy smile. She was missing one of her front teeth, and it made her all too cute. Luckily, the way to the center of the park wasn't long and Edward guided Jade over the path.

"How old are you?" Edward asked her.

Jade held up four fingers. "I'm four!" she exclaimed happily as if her first action wasn't making it clear already.

"Wow," Edward said brightly. "You're getting old," he joked and Jade laughed. Her giggles sounded like little bells.

"No, I'm not, you silly! I'm only four!" she giggled further.

"How come you ended up there?" he asked her, trying to distract her from the fact that she was technically lost and walking with a stranger, who happened to be a guy. It was a good thing Edward had good intentions for the little girl, but you never knew…

"I was playing in the sand with my toys, I have lots toys! Like pinks ones and greenies and I really like them," she started. Edward wanted to correct her language, but really felt that it wasn't his place. "But then Mommy said that she had an urgent phone call and she had to take it but I had to stay in her sight of…something," she rambled and Edward laughed.

"But then I looked around and I didn't find her, and then I started searching for her but I couldn't find her, and then I went on the path because Mommy always says I have to stay on the path and never go off the path so I stayed on the path, but Mommy wasn't on the path so I went further and I was really sad because I didn't find my mommy and then I met you," She rambled as much as Alice did and Edward smiled down at her.

"Just stay close to me now, Jade, we'll find her," Edward said as the path to the center of the park was clearer. The playground was filled with kids, and parents were sitting at the benches watching over their children. There were a few joggers running on the path around the park, and teenagers were lying in the grass. There were a few people playing with their dogs and the little pond was filled with ducks. Edward thought the best place to start was at the playground.

"Can you show me where you were playing with your toys, Jade?" Edward asked her and the little girl tugged him along. When they reached the sandbox, Jade's lips started to tremble once again.

"My toys are gone," she said, the tone of coming tears clear in her voice. Edward crouched down again so that he was at eye level with her.

"Hey, don't cry, sweetie." He gently wiped her tears away. "Are you sure this is where you were playing?" Edward asked and the girl nodded.

"Mommy was there," Jade replied while pointing her small finger at a yellow bench. Edward looked around. The smart thing they had done to the park was given the benches a different color. That way, the kids could remember where their parents where.

A sudden high-pitched scream came from behind them, and Jade all but sprung in Edward's arms for cover. He instantly protected her by putting his arms around her.

"You stay the hell away from my daughter!" a woman's voice yelled. Several people turned their heads to see what was happening in the otherwise peaceful park.

"Mommy!" Jade yelled and ran out of his embrace and straight into the woman's waiting arms. Behind the woman were two police officers that Edward knew as Officers Yorkie and Newton. They were eyeing Edward suspiciously. But that wasn't the thing that kept Edward frozen in place.

Jade's mommy had long, wavy brown hair. Her mom had chocolate brown eyes like Jade. Her mom had a heart-shaped face. Her mommy was _Bella_.

The years apart had done Bella nothing but justice, for she was every bit as beautiful as Edward remembered.

While he overcame his first shock, Bella finally turned and started to curse the hell out of him for taking her daughter when she finally realized who was standing, or rather crouching, before her.

"Bella," came from his lips, while a throaty whisper came from hers. "Edward."

Minutes passed as they both took each other in. It had been seven years. Seven years since he'd last seen her and yet, Edward felt so much love in his heart for the girl, woman now, before him. Bella was still the same, a bit older, and with more worries and life experience but yet, she was the same. The same girl he'd fallen in love with. The same girl he was still in love with. Her eyes were curious as she took in his face, roaming over his body and finally settling on his lips. She was about to say something when little Jade broke the silence.

"Eddy saved me, Mommy! He helps me find you!"

"He _helped_ you?" Bella asked, correcting her language in the process.

"Yes!" Jade giggled. "He walked with me in the forest and then took me here and I told him about my toys. Can I show him my toys? Where are my toys, Mommy?"

The little girl was completely oblivious to what was happening around her.

"We're fine, officers. I'm sorry for the trouble," Bella said to Mike and Eric.

"No trouble, Ms. Swan. We're glad Jade is okay," Eric said, and they walked back to their office. Edward had noticed the _Ms._ Swan and not her husband's last name, which strangely made him feel happy. Bella turned toward her daughter, who hid her face in her hair. Edward guessed Jade knew what was coming.

"You listen to me, young lady," Bella started. "Do you know how scared I was when I didn't see you? I told you to stay put and not go wandering on your own. I told you to stay safe," Bella's voice was stern and severe. There were tears in Jade's eyes.

"But Mommy I didn't see you, I looked at the bench and you weren't there," she whispered while a big tear fell from her eyes.

"I dropped my phone, sweetheart, I was out of sight for maybe three seconds," Bella said to her daughter.

"You always said to me that even one second is one too much," Jade said, sounding so wise. At that Bella smiled and took her daughter in a loving hug.

"Don't ever leave me, okay, sweetie? You're all I have now."

Mother and daughter hugged and smiled. Edward heard Jade's "I love you" and felt his heart swell. He'd been silent during the exchange and felt awkward just standing there. Finally, Bella addressed Edward's presence again.

"Jade, your toys are in the blue bag. You can take them and play in the sandbox. But stay in sight of the yellow bench, okay?" She kissed her daughter's head as the little girl happily took her toys out of the bag and ran toward the sandbox.

Edward watched her go and was startled when he suddenly felt Bella's body pressed against him. He instinctively put his arms around her. She still fit perfectly against him. She still was as warm as he remembered. She still smelled the same as in his memories.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear and much too soon she released him. "You found my daughter. I don't know what came over me when I didn't see her in the sandbox; I lost it. But you found her and you brought her back to me. How can I repay you?" she asked him.

"It's nothing, Bella. I'm glad I found her instead of―" He let the sentence hang in the air. He really didn't want to think about something bad happening to the little girl who was playing happily in the sandbox as if nothing had ever happened.

"It's _not_ nothing. I could have lost her. I want to do something, Edward, say what you want. She means the world to me. She's everything I have and you made sure she still is." Her words were so touching it made him love her even more.

As Edward stared into her eyes, he tried to puzzle her together. The way she acted so naturally around him made him feel like all those years apart had never happened. Like she never went away, like all the hurt never happened. Edward wanted to believe that more than anything in the world. He wished he could forget about the past, just forget it and start over.

"Come on, Edward," she whispered, biting her bottom lip. "I'll buy you dinner." She was grinning so much there was no way Edward could resist such an invitation.

"Bella, I love―" he caught himself in time before he said what he actually wanted to say. Bella's curiosity was peaked, and somehow Edward found that she knew what he almost said.

He shook his head, smiling at her before saying, "I'd love to."

Really, it wasn't what he was planning, but hell, he could spend some time with her. The fresh start he had wanted, the fresh start away from her, was thrown back in his face. She was back in his life. _She was back_.

"Dinner it is," Bella said, instantly ending his train of thought. Her brown eyes looked so warmly into his, her pink cheeks and her full lips called out to him. _How have I survived the last seven years without her in my life? _He thought.

"But," she continued, making his heart beat faster as he anticipating some sort of rejection. "It'll have to be at my place. I'll cook. It's just that I have no babysitter for Jade yet…if that's okay with you?"

He smiled, looking at the little girl, Bella's little girl, and said, "Of course, no problem."

Bella's giggle brought his eyes back to hers; he could see so much love there.

"Well, I'll expect you around six-thirty?" She smiled as he nodded. "I live next to the old bookstore at Georgiana Street. It's close to the medical center," she rambled on.

"Bella, calm down, I know where it is." He smiled her favorite crooked smile. She appeared nervous to him, but he let it slide.

"So I'll see you then?" Bella asked. After his affirmative nod, Bella called Jade, who smiled brightly at Edward before waving goodbye as she left with her mom.

Edward stared after her, his brain barely processing what had just happened when he started jogging back to his house. After a quick shower he got ready and left for work, chastising himself for being so late, but at the same time not regretting it. He had his own company after all, Alice would understand.

Alice eyed him suspiciously, though, as he walked past her, whistling a happy tune. She seemed curious and worried, so he smiled reassuringly at her, which seemed to be convincing enough as she smiled back.

Time didn't seem to pass fast enough that afternoon. Though staring at the clock every five minutes wasn't helping either, he couldn't stop himself. Edward was anxious, nervous and excited at the same time. He was terrified to get close to Bella and get hurt again, but he also knew he couldn't stay away, not anymore.

Despite all his efforts to concentrate, Edward didn't get much work done, even less with Alice's curious looks every few seconds. She was staring at him like he had two heads, and it unnerved him. Was he that obvious? Or was it because Alice knew him too well?

It wasn't until he was about to leave for the day that Alice finally asked, "How are you?" She was standing right in front of him, in the doorway, effectively blocking any chance he had to run away.

"Fine," he answered politely, but he couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. Edward might have been anxious, nervous and downright scared, but he was happy too. There was no denying it.

"Did Emmett get to you that much?" she asked, laughing. "Or is there something else you don't want to tell me about?"

Edward shook his head at her, putting both hands on her shoulders, and moving her out of the way. "I'll tell you on Monday," he assured her, kissing her cheek.

Once back home, Edward dressed comfortably and lay on the couch, waiting for it to be time to go to Bella's place. Staring at the ceiling and thinking was doing anything but calming his nerves, so he decided to leave a bit early. He grabbed his keys and was out of the door in the matter of seconds. Edward walked slowly, breathing in and out, in an attempt to calm his furious beating heart, but when he rounded the corner to the bookstore all his work seemed futile. His heart was beating faster than before.

He could hear laughter from inside the house; he didn't want to interrupt anything so he took a few minutes before knocking. Bella opened the door with a grin on her face, her eyes glistening, probably from laughing. But when she saw his face, her eyes went wide and her cheeks pink.

"Oh my, I'm sorry, Edward, I lost track of time," she apologized, hiding a little behind the door. "I'm a disaster!"

"No, I'm–I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come so early," Edward said awkwardly. He was about to speak again when Jade came running into the living room, laughing and calling after Bella.

"Mommyyy…" she squealed, hugging Bella's leg and staring up at Edward, grinning. "Eddy came to play with me?" she asked, taking one of Edward's fingers and dragging him into the house.

"Come on in?" Bella looked apologetically at him as her daughter painted his finger blue. He then noticed Bella's appearance―baggy clothes, smeared with blue and red paint, her hair a messy bun; her face was spotted with paint as well.

"Bella, I can come back another day," Edward shrugged apologetically.

"No, if you―could you just watch Jade while I make myself look decent?" She smiled and Edward gladly accepted. Bella disappeared instantly to what he guessed was the bathroom. Jade's little hand tugged him to the living room where it looked like a paint bomb had exploded. She ordered him to sit down and to look at all her paintings; while he did that she prattled along and explained everything.

"What's that?" Edward asked.

"That's Mommy and you!" she giggled. Edward had to stifle a chuckle because he'd thought it was two dogs with large ears. Though as Jade explained what her mommy's hair was and his hands, he could sort of make it out. As the little one chatted further Edward took the time to look around.

The outside of Bella's house had a very traditional feel, but most of the belongings were still packed away in boxes inside. The living room was filled with very lively furniture, dominated by comfy sofas and a huge dining table. Colorful rugs lay over the bare wooden floor and there was a large display case with pictures of Jade. Edward smiled at the sight. The fireplace was off and above it were even more pictures of Jade. Bella's walls were painted in earthy colors, which made it warm and cozy. From where Edward sat he could see a modern kitchen, and drawings of Jade hung against the fridge.

As Jade talked further, Edward noticed that she was getting sleepy.

"Are you tired, little Jade?" he asked sweetly, and she reluctantly nodded. He didn't know what to do, but Jade took the initiative. She jumped on the couch and nestled herself against Edward. He placed his arm around her, instinctively. She made sure not to get paint on his clothes, though. _Such a smart girl. _Minutes passed as Jade, looking like a little angel, slept against Edward.

He heard Bella's footsteps on the stairs and when she came out, she took his breath away. Bella had changed into a white cotton top that centered around her small waist and a floating green skirt. She was barelegged and barefooted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't have time to blow dry my hair," she shrugged.

"You're perfect," Edward mused as he looked at her long, wavy brown hair that was now slightly wet and curled at the bottom. Bella blushed and came over to the couch. The endearing smile on her face when she saw Jade made Edward warm inside. She carefully took the sleeping form off his lap and carried her upstairs. A few minutes later she came back and placed herself next to him.

"I've got another confession to make," she spilled as Edward eyed her. "I made all the preparations for dinner, but then Jade demanded my attention, and now I completely forgot to make us dinner. Would it be okay if I just ordered some pizza?" The cute blush on her cheeks made clear she was embarrassed by it all.

"Pizza sounds absolutely great," Edward reassured her. About half an hour later they were both laughing, joking, playfully flirting and eating their pizza. It felt like no time had passed between them at all.

Bella told him a bit about her time away. _"_Well, I finished my education at Stanford and moved to Florida." She seemed nervous talking about this subject. Old hurt lingered in Edward's heart.

"I met Jasper there; he was in the same class as me, a perfect gentleman, and we got along great. When he finally declared his love for me and asked me to marry him I just said yes. I'd just found out I was pregnant, and I hadn't even told him." Her eyes were sad as they met his. "It seemed like the right thing to do, you know? Marry the father of my unborn child. The day Jade was born was the greatest day of my life, but from there on, things got bad."

Edward absentmindedly stroked Bella's arm, because in telling the story, Bella had come to sit closer to him on the couch.

"He started to drink more, he became aggressive, he wasn't at home for days and when he was, it became a living hell for me. The last few months with him were terrible. He hit me several times because I didn't cook him the right dinner or didn't iron his shirts the way he wanted it." Hurt clouded her brown eyes, and Edward felt anger rising in him, knowing Jasper had hurt her.

"I'm so sorry, Bella."

"I know," she said, smiling lightly. "I found out he cheated on me with his secretary, but that wasn't why I left him," she spoke softly. "It wasn't until he turned to Jade that I took action. He'd raised his hand at her, a harmless child, and I just snapped. I hit him with a frying pan, pretty hard I guess, packed up my little girl and left. The day after that I asked for a divorce. It was such a hard time and everything went to court. The divorce was finally legal and the judge gave me full custody of Jade. Jasper isn't even allowed to see her anymore. We have a restraining order against him." Her words came out quietly.

Minutes passed as Bella leaned against Edward, while he processed what she had just told him. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he whispered against her hair. "You deserve so much more." He felt her nod. Edward realized he'd been wrong earlier. Bella hadn't had a perfect life. She'd run away from it and come back here.

"It's easier to talk about it now I know he'll never come for her, or me. I can just start a new life here, where nobody knows what happened, except you." Bella looked him in the eye.

"Why did you tell me?" Edward asked her, and Bella smiled at him.

"Because I trust you." Her answer was so simple; after all these years, she still trusted him.

Some time passed before Edward finally asked what he'd wanted to ask so many years ago. "Why did you leave me?" His words were barely audible, but he knew she'd heard them. She'd also heard the hurt behind them. Bella pushed herself up and away from him.

"I was scared," she admitted.

"Why?" Edward asked her and forced her to look him in the eye.

"I wasn't even eighteen. I had just graduated from high school and my entire life was planned out before me. Your parents, my parents, they all put so much pressure on me…" she trailed off and looked out the window. "It felt like I wasn't in control of my own life anymore, like I was a marionette in a puppet-play. I wanted to make my own choices, I wanted to see the world on my own and not because someone told me to."

She became silent.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Edward asked her, his voice soft. "You know I'd have understood it." Bella shook her head lightly.

"No, you wouldn't." She smiled. "I wanted to go to Stanford, while your dream was Harvard. I couldn't take that away from you, because I was sure you'd follow me if I told you I was going there." At this Edward nodded. He would have followed her.

"I loved you too much, Edward, and when I saw you getting down on one knee I just lost it. You were ready to settle down and I wasn't, not by far. I didn't want to destroy your dreams, Edward. So I sacrificed my love for you, so we both could be happy." Her words came as if through a tunnel.

"Though, the thing is, I wasn't happy," Bella admitted and smiled sadly at him. "Throughout the years I wanted to come back, to come back and throw myself in front of you begging to forgive me. But then I met Jasper and I got pregnant, and then Jade came into my life and things just got…complicated. I knew I couldn't leave the life I had, even though I wanted to."

Edward had a hard time processing what she was saying.

"Jade's named after you, you know. Jasper never knew, but the color of your eyes…" she murmured. Edward's grip on her arm tightened as he slowly began to understand what she was saying.

"When I saw you today, Edward, I knew what I felt was real…_is _real," she said, her voice quiet. Edward met her eyes, those three words hanging on his lips.

"I've never stopped loving you, Edward. I still love you."

Edward saw her face tilting as she came closer, her body now fully pressed against his. He was trapped in her hungry gaze. Her lips came down, searing for his. Their lips moved, gentle at first, and then harder, embracing them both in happiness and passion.

Edward put more pressure to open her mouth, as she lightly brushed her tongue against his. His body responded to her touch, tangling his hand in her hair while the other roamed over her body.

He took possession of her. He'd dreamt of this moment, yearned for years and now she was back in his arms, saying she'd never stopped loving him. _How could they have wasted so much time?_

Bella was holding him tightly to her body, but it didn't feel like enough. They wanted to be close to each other, now that they finally found their way back together.

As soon as the kiss started, it stopped. They looked at each other, both breathing hard and gasping at what had happened.

"Don't ever leave me," he murmured against her forehead as he softly kissed it.

"I won't." And Edward believed it. Bella gently leaned in for another kiss as they heard some commotion upstairs.

"MOMMY!" Jade screamed. Bella cringed at the high-pitched scream, but Edward softly caressed her cheek.

"Go," he said gently. Bella seemed to hesitate.

"You'll stay?"

"Always," he said in true honesty. Bella pressed her lips against his and ran upstairs.

Edward knew they would have to talk about the past. They had to get back to trusting each other completely and maybe, one day, she'd accept the ring that was still buried in the far corner of Edward's night table, waiting to seal their love forever.


End file.
